Quebec, the French Language, and Quebecois Identity

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Henriette fait le tour du monde

https://www.leparisien.fr/video/video-au...9-01-2025-BP47S3ZB6JEJBBYGAY6LSJYDHQ.php

With a (given) name like that, you know immediately she's not from France, otherwise she would be in her 90s or more.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

The general consensus here is that the EU countries will just cave in, because their security depends too much on the US. They will accept just anything Trump will ask, with only token resistance if he's really serious.

There, article published today.

«L’Amérique fortifiée et désinhibée de Trump va s’attaquer à tous les principes auxquels tiennent les Européens»

Tétanisés par le retour au pouvoir du président conservateur, les Vingt-Sept ne sont pas prêts à parer les coups s’il s’attaque immédiatement à eux. Un immobilisme préoccupant, selon le politologue Bruno Tertrais.

Libération
21 janvier 2025

Pour Bruno Tertrais, directeur adjoint de la Fondation pour la recherche stratégique et auteur de l’Atlas des frontières (Les Arènes, 2024), les Etats européens semblent prêts à faire des concessions à Donald Trump afin de l’apaiser. La pire des stratégies, selon lui, puisqu’on ne négocie pas avec un «prédateur» en lui montrant sa faiblesse.

https://www.liberation.fr/international/...ens-20250120_ASV2Z5UNHVD5DEBGUBJ2AR6N3Q/

La brutalité de Trump ne pourrait-elle pas pousser les Européens à s’unir davantage, notamment dans le domaine de la défense ?

Dans une certaine mesure, cela a toujours été l’espoir secret des Français . Je crains toutefois que les Européens soient tellement accros à la protection américaine qu’ils sont mentalement incapables d’imaginer pouvoir se défendre sans l’Amérique. La France est sans doute le seul pays mentalement préparé à pouvoir se passer de l’Amérique.

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Clogged arteries are an essential part of Quebec culture.

Definitely a common health issue in France too, especially when people lack physical activity.
That's why they advertise working out so much these days.

There would be some healthy fat to certain types of food, but butter is not one of those...
Just like booze, "à consommer avec modération" (not to be consumed in excess), especially when you need a healthy diet.

Unfortunately, the time when the French population was pretty much spared from obesity is past.
More and more have overweight problems today.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by mousquet

Unfortunately, the time when the French population was pretty much spared from obesity is past.
More and more have overweight problems today.

Still enormously far from North America, or even the UK/Germany.

[P'tit Renard]

Wonder where these snowbirds will head to if they ditch Florida..

Propriétés à vendre chez les « snowbirds » « C’est vraiment la panique totale ! »

https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/2025-01...rds/c-est-vraiment-la-panique-totale.php


Vent de boycottage des États-Unis

https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/chroniq...ds/vent-de-boycottage-des-etats-unis.php

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

With a (given) name like that, you know immediately she's not from France, otherwise she would be in her 90s or more.

We are (or were) big on -ette names here: Henriette, Georgette, Huguette, Ginette, etc.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by P'tit Renard

Wonder where these snowbirds will head to if they ditch Florida..

Propriétés à vendre chez les « snowbirds » « C’est vraiment la panique totale ! »

https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/2025-01...rds/c-est-vraiment-la-panique-totale.php


Vent de boycottage des États-Unis

https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/chroniq...ds/vent-de-boycottage-des-etats-unis.php

DR, Cancun - the other three-star destinations.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

DR, Cancun - the other three-star destinations.

If Trump bans Air Canada from US airspace, flights from Toronto to Cancun wouldn't have to fly 2,600 km anymore but... 4,680 km ! That would be 80% longer, and 80% more expensive.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

If Trump bans Air Canada from US airspace, flights from Toronto to Cancun wouldn't have to fly 2,600 km anymore but... 4,680 km ! That would be 80% longer, and 80% more expensive.

It's extremely unlikely that Canadian planes would EVER be banned from US airspace.

[New Brisavoine]

February 2016: It's extremely unlikely that that clown Donald Trump will be elected president of the USA.

December 2020: It's extremely unlikely the Maga will try a coup.

January 2022: It's extremely unlikely Putin will attempt a full invasion of Ukraine.

September 2023: It's extremely unlikely that Hamas and Hezbollah can be a major threat to Israel in the near future.

December 2023: It's extremely unlikely Donald Trump will be reelected with all these criminal cases against him. He might not even win the Republican nomination.

I would tend to beware of extremely unlikely scenarios if I were you... Especially considering that banning Canada from US air space would be far less costly and aggressive than a full-scale invasion (and it would probably not require US Congress approval, unlike a declaration of war).

PS: European planes have been banned from Russian airspace since 2022, we have to fly all around Russia now to reach East Asia. You haven't even heard about it I bet, because these sorts of things happen without being thought of as totally over the board. Algeria also banned French planes from flying over its territory en route to the Sahel.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

February 2016: It's extremely unlikely that that clown Donald Trump will be elected president of the USA.

December 2020: It's extremely unlikely the Maga will try a coup.

January 2022: It's extremely unlikely Putin will attempt a full invasion of Ukraine.

September 2023: It's extremely unlikely that Hamas and Hezbollah can be a major threat to Israel in the near future.

December 2023: It's extremely unlikely Donald Trump will be reelected with all these criminal cases against him. He might not even win the Republican nomination.

I would tend to beware of extremely unlikely scenarios if I were you... Especially considering that banning Canada from US air space would be far less costly and aggressive than a full-scale invasion (and it would probably not require US Congress approval, unlike a declaration of war).

PS: European planes have been banned from Russian airspace since 2022, we have to fly all around Russia now to reach East Asia. You haven't even heard about it I bet, because these sorts of things happen without being thought of as totally over the board. Algeria also banned French planes from flying over its territory en route to the Sahel.

I suppose. It's definitely true that we are living in an era where "anything is possible, even the unthinkable" seems to be the new rule.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

February 2016: It's extremely unlikely that that clown Donald Trump will be elected president of the USA.

December 2020: It's extremely unlikely the Maga will try a coup.

January 2022: It's extremely unlikely Putin will attempt a full invasion of Ukraine.

September 2023: It's extremely unlikely that Hamas and Hezbollah can be a major threat to Israel in the near future.

December 2023: It's extremely unlikely Donald Trump will be reelected with all these criminal cases against him. He might not even win the Republican nomination.

I would tend to beware of extremely unlikely scenarios if I were you... Especially considering that banning Canada from US air space would be far less costly and aggressive than a full-scale invasion (and it would probably not require US Congress approval, unlike a declaration of war).

PS: European planes have been banned from Russian airspace since 2022, we have to fly all around Russia now to reach East Asia. You haven't even heard about it I bet, because these sorts of things happen without being thought of as totally over the board. Algeria also banned French planes from flying over its territory en route to the Sahel.

Sure but the US needs our airspace more than we need theirs. Mostly we use theirs for flights to the actual United States. They would lose access to Asia and Europe from most destinations without huge detours. The losses in cargo alone would be massive. Canada would actually be able to steal all that seafood and other perishable produce trade.

A blockade of the land border would hit us harder. We would practically have scurvy without US and Mexican fruit and Veg. Though in emergency could bring in European and North African replacements in most cases and even grow some of our own with all that excess energy.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

If Trump bans Air Canada from US airspace, flights from Toronto to Cancun wouldn't have to fly 2,600 km anymore but... 4,680 km ! That would be 80% longer, and 80% more expensive.

Where did you get the idea that Air Canada would be banned from U.S. airspace? Nobody has ever suggested it, or that U.S. be banned from overflying Canada.

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

Sure but the US needs our airspace more than we need theirs.

Are you kidding?? You can fly East Coast to Europe direct no need to fly over Canada. You can fly West Coast to Asia direct, no need to fly over Canada. Only flights from East Coast to Asia and from West Coast to Europe would be affected, but they could still transfer flights on each other's coast, as many people already do. Most of the time when I flew between California and Europe I transferred planes at JFK or Newark. I think I flew only once over Canada (direct flight from San Francisco to Amsterdam).

So most people would not be affected, and those potentially affected would be few (how many Americans from East Coast fly to Asia, and Americans from the West Coast fly to Europe? a very small % of Americans really, and in their vast majority Democrats, who don't vote for Trump anyway). People from Texas, you think they'd care? They can fly direct to Asia or Europe without needing Canada's airspace. And most of the US heartland transfers either on the East Coast or the West Coast already. It's not like people from Des Moines are going to fly direct to Europe using Canada's airspace.

You guys seem to be deluding yourselves a bit I think by overestimating the importance of your airspace to the US. I mean, if the guy is ready to hit his imports from Canada with 25% tariffs, which would hurt US customers tremendously, you think he'd have any qualms banning you from US airspace??

Full scale invasion, no, both because Trump doesn't like wars, and he would require US Congress approval, and EVEN this dysfunctional Congress would not approve a declaration of war on Canada (plus the large majority of Americans would oppose a war with Canada, whereas most Americans would probably not care if Trump banned Canadian flights from US airspace).

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Where did you get the idea that Air Canada would be banned from U.S. airspace? Nobody has ever suggested it, or that U.S. be banned from overflying Canada.

It's the next logical step if Canada doesn't cave in. In fact if I were Trump, that's the first thing I would do before raising tariffs. Tariffs will hurt American consumers. Banning Canadian flights from US airspace, even taking into account Canadian retaliation, would hurt the Americans far far less than 25% tariffs. It's also something that is routinely done, even between Nato allies (France prevented the US from flying over France to bomb Gaddafi back in the Reagan days, and they hated us a lot for that; I believe Greece and Turkey also banned each other's airspace during the invasion of Cyprus by Turkey). Russia and China both currently ban several nations from using their airspace (when I flew to Taiwan, we had to make a very long detour around China and across India in order to reach Taiwan, and people currently flying from Europe to China or Japan have to make a long detour south of Turkey and Iran instead of flying over Russia, which adds 3 hours to flights between Paris and Tokyo for instance).

Blockading land borders (as suggested above) is a far more bellicose move, whereas closing one's airspace is usually seen as a far less warlike move.

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by New Brisavoine

Are you kidding?? You can fly East Coast to Europe direct no need to fly over Canada...

Examples of air routes between the US and Europe:

[New Brisavoine]

JFK to Heathrow is 5,539 km direct, flying over tiny bits of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. If these have to be avoided, the flight would be 5,580 km (flying solely over international water and no Canadian land), i.e. a grand total of... 0.7% longer, otherwise known in plain English as "peanuts".

Even Chicago wouldn't be particularly affected. Chicago O'Hare to Heathrow is 6,343 km direct, and if Canada has to be avoided it would be 6 ,702 km, i.e. only 5.7% longer, which is not much (flights between Europe and Asia are far FAR more affected by the closure of Russian airspace, and guess what, we survive! it hasn't even been a news item in our media).

Canada would be far more affected. Not only no more trips to NYC, Florida, California, etc., but 50% to 80% longer flights to the Caribbean and Central America. Major impact.

[P'tit Renard]

Originally Posted by Acajack

It's extremely unlikely that Canadian planes would EVER be banned from US airspace.

Yes, it's a bit of a stretch to go from tariffs (which explicitly supports Trump and JD Vance's goals of generating revenue to pay for tax cuts as well as onshoring of manufacturing)... to blockading airspace and causing significant financial losses for US airlines and the US tourism industry.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by harls

I always ask for extra fat butter imported from France.

• Video Link

[New Brisavoine]

Originally Posted by P'tit Renard

Yes, it's a bit of a stretch to go from tariffs (which explicitly supports Trump and JD Vance's goals of generating revenue to pay for tax cuts as well as onshoring of manufacturing)... to blockading airspace and causing significant financial losses for US airlines and the US tourism industry.

Closing one's airspace to foreign flights is NOT a blockade. Some classes in international law are needed here...

Canada is not landlocked in the US. A closure of US airspace to its planes would not be a blockade.